The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs

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© 1999 by Robert Beer Please note that all text and illustrations in this book are in copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information retrieval system, without permission in writing from: Permissions Department Shambhala Publications, Inc. P.O. Box308 Boston, MA02117-0308 Fax (617) 236-1563 e-mail: [email protected]

Published by arrangement with Serindia Publications, Chicago Printed in China 9 8 7 6

Distributed in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada Ltd Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Beer, Robert. The Encyclopedia of Tibetan symbols and motifs I text and illustrations by Robert Beer. - 1st ed. p. em. ISBN 978-1-57062-416-2 (cloth) 1. Art, Tibetan- Themes, motives. 2. Symbolism in artChina- Tibet. I. Title. N7346.T5B43 1999 98-21080 704.9'48943923- dc21 CIP

Contents

LIST OF PLATES . ACKNOWLED-GEMENTS INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1: Landscape Elements ROCK FORMATIONS SIMULACRA IN LANDSCAPE

IX

XI XII

3 4 11

WATER

13

FIRE (FLAMES)

17

AIR (CLOUDS)

24 31 31 34

SKY RAINBOWS AURA LINES

Chapter 2: Flowers and Trees THE LOTUS LOTUS SEATS OR THRONES FLOWERS, FLOWER BUDS, AND LEAVES TREES, LEAVES, AND FRUIT ROUNDELS

Chapter 3: Animals ANIMALS MYTHOLOGICAL AND REAL

59 59

THE WINDHORSE AND THE FOUR SUPERNATURAL ANIMAL GUARDIANS OF THE FOUR DIRECTIONS

Thehorse . The windhorse The supernatural animals of the four directions

6o 6o 6o

62

THE DRAGON

63

GARUDA

THE MAKARA

65 68

THE FACE OF MAJESTY

69

THENAGA

70 72

Nagas and the civilisations of the Indus Valley THE THREE VICTORIOUS CREATURES OF HARMONY DOMESTIC AND WILD ANIMALS

Animal heads

73 75

77

TIGER, LEOPARD, SNOW-LION AND HORSE THE ELEPHANT DEER

78 8o 83

~m

~

THE SIX-ORNAMENT THRONE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

88

THE ANIMAL THRONES OF THE FIVE BUDDHAS

90

THE FIVE BUDDHA FAMILIES - COLOURS, ORIGINS, AND CONTRADICTIONS

92

Chapter 4: Narrative Subjects THE SIX SYMBOLS OF LONG LIFE

95 95 95

DIAGRAM OF SHAMATHA MEDITATION PRACTICE OR

99

THE FOUR FRIENDS OR HARMONIOUS BROTHERS

'TRANQUIL ABIDING'

Chapter 5: Cosmology

103

MOUNT MERU

103

THE VEDIC LEGEND OF THE CHURNING OF THE OCEAN

109

THE MANDALA OFFERING

110

THE TIBETAN ASTROLOGICAL DIAGRAM

115

The legend of the golden tortoise diagram

115

THE 'ALL-POWERFUL TEN' INTERLOCKING SYLLABLES

123

THE STUPA

127

The symbolism of the stupa The proportions of the stupa The eight great stupas THE CHANNEL-WHEEL SYSTEMS

The Hindu Kundalini Yoga chakra system The Buddhist channel-wheel system

Sexuality, conception, and birth The death process The generation and completion stages of Highest Yoga Tantra The Kalachak:ra channel-wheel system The numerical symbolism of the channels and channel-wheels Chapter 6: Mudras

128 130 133 135 137 140 140 141 141 145 146

149

Chapter 7: The Chakravartin and his Seven Precious Possessions

160

THE SEVEN POSSESSIONS OF THE CHAKRAVARTIN

162

The precious wheel The precious jewel The precious queen The precious minister The precious elephant The precious horse The precious general THE SEVEN SECONDARY POSSESSIONS OF THE CHAKRAVARTIN

The sword The naga skin The royal house The robes

162 162 162 163 163 163 163 163 163 164 164 164

The royal gardens The throne The boots

164 164 165

Chapter 8: Auspicious Symbols

171

THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS

171

The lotus The endless knot The golden fishes The parasol The victory banner The golden treasure vase The white conch shell The wheel THE EIGHT AUSPICIOUS SUBSTANCES

The mirror The medicine Curds or yoghurt Durva grass The bilva fruit The right-spiralling conch The vermilion powder Mustard seed THE FIVE OFFERINGS OF SENSORY ENJOYMENT

The mirror Musical instruments Perfume and incense offering Fruit and food offerings The silk cloth

173 173 176 176

18o 181 183

185 187 188

188 188 189

189 190 190 190 194 194

198 201 201 202

Chapter 9: Various Peaceful Offerings, Jewels, and Ritual Implements

205

THE THREE JEWELS

205

THE SEVEN WATER BOWL OFFERINGS

205

JEWELS

208

GZI STONES OR BEADS

212

THE ROSARY

215

Rudraksha beads

216

HAND-HELD PLANT ATTRIBUTES

217

ASSORTED RITUAL IMPLEMENTS

219

THE POSSESSIONS OF AN ORDAINED MONK

226

MONASTIC AND CEREMONIAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

228

Chapter 10: The Wheel of Sharp Weapons

233

THE VAJRA

233

The iconography and symbolism of the five-pointed vajra

235

THE CROSSED VAJRA

239

THE BELL

243 243 245 247

The iconography and symbolism of the bell THE RITUAL DAGGER

The iconography and symbolism of the phurba

THE HINDU KAPALIKAS, PADMASAMBHAVA, AND THE BUDDHIST

THE EIGHT GREAT CHARNEL GROUNDS

249 250

THE HINDU RITE OF CREMATION

252

THE TANTRIC STAFF

252

MAHASIDDHAS

The iconography of the khatvanga The khatvanga: outer symbolism The khatvanga: inner symbolism The khatvanga: secret symbolism THE HAND DRUM THE THIGHBONE TRUMPET THE CURVED KNIFE OR CHOPPER THE SKULL OR SKULL-CUP

HAND-HELD WEAPONS AND THE RITUAL IMPLEMENTS OF SPECIFIC DEITIES ARCHERY THE BOW THE ARROW

The flower attributes of the bow and arrow, hook and noose THE SWORD

The scorpion and the scorpion-hilted sword THE TRIDENT-PIKE, CADUCEUS, DART, AND OTHER BLADED WEAPONS THE SPEAR, LANCE, JAVELIN, HARPOON, AND PIKE THE TRIDENT THE CLUB THE SNARE, NOOSE OR LASSO THE IRON CHAIN THE SHIELD THE DISCUS THE AXE THE ELEPHANT GOAD OR IRON HOOK MISCELLANEOUS RITUAL IMPLEMENTS AND WEAPONS

Chapter 11: Wrathful Offerings, Tormas, and Ritual Fire Hearths DISMEMBERED BODY PARTS AND OTHER WRATHFUL ATTRIBUTES FLAYED SKIN FRIEZES OF WRATHFUL OFFERING ASSEMBLIES THE EIGHT ATTIRES OF THE CHARNEL GROUNDS THE SIX BONE ORNAMENTS AND THE FIVE-SKULL CROWN RITUAL OFFERING CAKES AND THREAD CROSSES THE WRATHFUL OFFERING OF THE FIVE SENSES THE INNER OFFERING

The visualised generation of the inner offering according to the Chakrasamvara Tantra The symbolism of the inner offering The possible origins of the inner offering sub,stances

253 254 254 254 258 259 261 263

267 267 268 270 274 276 277 280 282 285 287 294 295 298 298 300 302 302 311 311 313 315 318 320 325 327

THE RITUAL FIRE OFFERING

327 330 331 333 335

Chapter 1.2: Geometric Borders, Patterns, Designs, and Motifs

343

AN ASSEMBLY OF WEAPONS AND WRATHFUL OFFERINGS

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

375

List of Plates PLATE

The Eight auspicious symbols

24 25

Chapter 1: Landscape Elements Landscape elements Rock formations Rock formations Vajra-rock promontories, rock stacks and Mt Meru Vajra-rock promontories and cliff faces Various landscape elements Foliage around rock formations Simulacra forms in landscape Stylistic representations of water Turbulent water Waterfalls Flame formations Flame formations Flame formations, haloes and aureoles Flame aureoles and haloes Symmetrical flame aureoles as 'mountains of fire' Makara-tail aureoles as 'rosaries of light' Cumulus and cirrus cloud formations Cumulus, cloud streets and mare's-tail clouds Mare's-tail and swirling cirrus clouds Cloud formations, horizontal cloudbanks and cloud streets Cloud formations in mountainous landscapes Cloud thrones Rainbow phenomena Shading of flames and clouds

26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Chapter 2: Flowers and Trees Lotuses and water lilies Lotus thrones Lotus thrones and their shading The shading of flowers, buds and leaves Stylised peony and chrysanthemum blossoms Flowers, buds and leaves Compostion of flowers, buds, fruit and leaves Flower buds Leaves Various trees (willow, mango, aloewood, etc.) Various trees (fig, peach, sandalwood, etc.) Various trees (cypress, fig, peony, bamboo, etc.) Various trees (palm, banana, plantain, peony, etc.) Various trees (mango, sandalwood, fig, pine, etc) Entwining trees, leaf and flower roundels Stylised leaf and fruit clusters

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

42 43 44

Chapter 3: Animals The windhorse and the 4 supernatural creatures Dragons

Thegaruda

PAGE II

2

5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23

25 26

27 28 29 30 33 35

36 39 40 42 43 44 45 46 47 51

52 53 54 55

PLATE

45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54

55 56

57 58 59 6o

Kirtimukha, the face of glory Thenagas The three victorious creatures of harmony Various domestic and wild animals Animal heads Tiger, leopard, snow-lion and horse Elephants Deer Birds Waterbirds The six-ornament throne of enlightenment

68 69 72 74

76 77 79 81 84 86 87 89

Chapter 4: Narrative Illustrations The four friends 94 Shou-lao (symbols of longevity) & the Four Friends 97 The six symbols of longevity (in Tibetan style) 98 Diagram of shamatha meditation practice 101

66 67 68 69 70 71 72

Cha~ter 5: Cosmology Cosmology of Mt Meru The Mt Meru mandala offering The thirty-seven heaps of the mandala offering The Tibetan astrological diagram Astrological symbols The all-powerful syllables of the Kalachakra Variations of Kalachakra's all-powerful syllables The eight great stupas Construction grid of the enlightenment stupa The Buddha image and the stupa The Hindu Kundalini-yoga chakra system The Buddhist channel-wheel system

73 74

Chapter 6: Mudras Mudras made by combining both hands Single hand mudras

151

76

Hands holding ritual implements Footprints, handprints and foot postures

157 159

77 78 79 8o

Chapter 7- The Chakravartin and his Seven Precious Possessions The seven precious possessions The seven precious possessions The seven secondary possessions and insignias Jewel heaps and the seven insignia

166 167 168 169

Chapter 8: Auspicious Symbols The eight auspicious symbols The eight auspicious symbols Variations on the eight auspicious symbols The parasol or umbrella The victory banner

172 174 175 177 179

61 62 63 64

65

75

56 57 61 64 67

The makara

PAGE

81 82 83 84

85

102 112 114 117 119 125 126 131 132 134 137 143

155

PLATE

PAGE

95

Treasure vases, pennants, banners and flags The conch shell The golden wheel The wheel and deer emblem The eight auspicious substances Offering bowls with eight auspicious substances The peaceful offering of the five senses Offering of sight - the mirror Offering of sound - musical instruments Offerings of touch - taste and smell

182 184 186 187 191 193 195 197 199 203

96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107

Chapter 9: Various Peaceful Offerings, Jewels and Ritual Implements The seven offering bowls Alms bowls, offering bowls and vases Jewels and gemstones Gzi stones The Buddhist rosary Rudrakasha beads Plant and grain attributes Ritual vases and assorted ritual implements Assorted ritual implements The possessions of an ordained monk Monastic and ceremonial musical instruments Peaceful offerings and ritual objects

204 207 211 214 216 217 218 220 225 227 228 230

108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128

Chapter 10: The Wheel of Sharp Weapons The nine-pronged vajra The various forms of the vajra Vajras, crossed-vajras and vajra-chains The vishvavajra The vishvavajra The ritual bell The ritual dagger The khatvanga or tantric staff The khatvanga or tantric staff The hand drum and the thigh-bone trumpet The curved-knife and chopper The skull-cup The bow Arrows, divination arrows and mirrors Flower bows and arrows Various swords The trident pike, caduceus, dart, water-knife etc. The spear or lance The trident Tally-sticks, clubs, skull-topped clubs, etc. Maces, clubs, forked-sticks, ploughs, etc.

232 237 238 241 242 245 248 255 257 200 262 265 269 273 275 279 281 283 286 289 291

86

87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94

PLATE

PAGE

129 130 1)1 1)2 133 134

Skeletons and skeleton-dubs, etc. Snares and iron chains The shield, discus or chakra, etc. Axes, iron hooks and elephant goads Miscellaneous ritual implements and weapons The five magical weapons of Palden Lhamo, etc.

293 297 299 301 304 307

135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145

Chapter 11: Wrathful Offerings, Tormas, and Ritual Fire Hearths Dismembered body parts, etc. Flayed skin friezes, carrion birds, corpses etc. Tiger and leopardskin dhotis, etc. Skulls and skull offerings Thread crosses, tormas, ransom offerings The wrathful offering of the five senses The inner offering An assembly of weapons and wrathful offerings Designs for the homa fire hearths Designs for the homa fire hearths A variation of the square hearth design

312 314 317 319 323 326 328 334 337 339 340

146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 16o 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169

Chapter u: Geometric Borders, Patterns, Designs and Motifs Composite Chinese pictograph Meander and endless knot designs Geometric border designs Borders of interlocking chains, knots, etc. Repeating knot and swastika patterns and borders Repeating swastika borders and patterns Endlessly repeating swastika patterns Repeating swastika patterns Knots and border designs Swastika and endless knot borders Endless knots Endless knots Knots, jui'i symbols and syllables ·Chinese shou or longevity symbols Various Chinese symbols and trigrams Armour and chain-mail designs Border designs and linear brocade patterns Geometric border designs Brocade pattern designs Makara-tail scrolls and crests Repeating lotus or peony flower designs Repeating vajra and lotus designs Repeating vajra and bell upon lotus designs Repeating sword and book upon a lotus

342 344 345 347 348 349 350 351 352 354 355 356 357 359 300 362 )64 365 366 367 369 370 371 372

Note on Transliteration Many Sanskrit and Tibetan terms are given in the text; italics are used for both (though not for proper names, or certain words which have passed into general English use, e.g. dharma, mandala). Unless otherwise indicated, italicised words are Sanskrit. Tibetan terms appear in brackets, transliterated according to the Wylie system. Sometimes the pronounciation of Tibetan words or names of deities is also given, e.g. Troma Nagmo (Tib. Khro rna nag mo). Where both

X

the Sanskrit and Tibetan are given, Sanskrit (Skt.) is given first, and Tibetan (Tib.) follows. Diacritical marks have been omitted from the Sanskrit, and the transliteration has been adjusted accordingly: ri is used for r, ch for c, and sh for 5 and ?· Apologies are offered to Sanskrit scholars. With a text of this length, and with the frequent appearance of both Sanskrit and Tibetan, it is very difficult to keep within the bounds of consistency, and inconsistencies will undoubtedly remain.

Acknowledgements

To the countless anonymous artists of Tibet who revealed the sublimity of divine form. To the lineages of Mahasiddhas who revealed the bliss of great immaculate nakedness. For He who has no name, And She who cannot be named. My deepest gratitude is expressed to the many Tibetan lamas who have inspired me through the examples of being who they are, in particular H.H. The Dalai Lama, Khamtrul Rinpoche, Apo Rinpoche, Karmapa, Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche, Zenga Rinpoche, Tokden, Dorzong and Choegyal Rinpoche, and the Tokdens of Tashi Jong. From the Indian traditions the lives and teachings of Ramana Maharishi and the incredible Sai Baba of Shirdi have always remained closest to my heart, as have the many saints, sadhus, beggars and liars of India who taught me things that I needed to know. Within the Sufi tradition thanks are expressed to Kabir and Jalaal'uddin Rumi for writing the language of love and clarity, and to all of those who have had the courage to live within its light. For artistic inspiration my gratitude is expressed to the late John Miles, Khamtrul Rinpoche, Jampa from Lhasa, Oleshe from Sola Khumbu; and to the living artists Sherabpalden Beru, Siddhimuni, Udaya and Dinesh, Lalman, Chewang and Cho Tsering, and in particular to my close friend and artistic-brother Phuntsog Phrengwa and his wife Dawa of Sikkim. I would like to thank Ani Tenzin Palmo who gave me the courage to finish this work, and my vajra-sister and lifelong friend, Ani Jampa- who true to form always arrives at the beginnings and ends of things. My deepest thanks are to my dear wife Helen, who endured so many things through and for me with a strength

that belonged to the gods. To my joyful daughters Carrina and Rosia, who already as budding teenagers are 'wiser than the horses of instruction'. To Christina Svane and a vow made beneath the stars of Gyantse. To Liz Specterman, the most honest and generous friend I have ever known. And to Gill Farrer-Halls for being here now. For spiritual and philosophical source material I would like to thank Karma Phuntsog, Thubten Jinpa, Gyurme Dorje, Thubten Chodron, Lati Rinpoche, Geshe Tenpa Dargey, Serkong Rinpoche and many others for their unpublished works; and Martin Willson, Edward Henning, Martin Boord, Petri the Alchemist, Martin Brauen and David Snellgrove for their translations and published works. And especially to my close friend Robert Svoboda and his lineage of Ayurvedic, alchemical and Indian tantric transmissions. For material support I would like to thank Jane Reed, Noel Forster and the committee of the Harold Hyam Wmgate Foundation in London for funding me and enabling this project to be realised; and for practical encouragement to David and Dorothy Ford, Evan Dvorsek, Sean Jones, John and Anne Driver, Hugh Clift, Pete Fry, Phuntsog and Riga Wangyal and the staff of Tibet Foundation in London, and to the staff of Wisdom Books, London. Thanks are due to Noel Cobb, Linda Baer, Stuart Hamill, Edie Irwin, Dave Wade, Stephen and Martine Bachelor, Louise Dubois, Christine Daniels; and to Toby Matthews who helped in the last stages of designing this book. And last but not least I would like to thank my publisher Anthony Aris of Serindia Publications and his wife Marie Laure, who have always been close friends, but who have had to suffer with patience, kindness, humour and dignity the many broken deadlines and vicissitudes of this erratic human being. xi

Introduction

Spiritual Window Shopping

These spiritual window shoppers, who idly ask. "How much is that?"- "Oh, I was only looking". They handle a hundred items, and put them down again, shadows with no capital. What is spent is love, and two eyes wet with weeping. But these walk into a shop, and their whole lives pass suddenly, in that moment, in that shop. "Where did you go?"- "Nowhere". "What did you have to eat?"- "Nothing much". Even if you don't know what you want, buy something, to be part of the exchanging flow. Start a huge foolish project, like Noah. It makes absolutely no difference what people think of you. ]alaal'uddin Rumi (translated by Coleman Barks)

Like Noah, I began a huge foolish project. Ark building has never been easy, especially when you have to do it alone, and when the summer days are long and the seasons appear to be in order. When questioned by consensus reality as to why one has undertaken such a seemingly endless task, Noah knew well the only answer. Vision is sometimes a terrible thing. Ideas are easy to come by, they spring effortlessly out of the vacuity of the mind and cost nothing. When they are held and projected onto one's self or others they become a project. When the project is enacted it becomes the work, and when the work is completed it appears to be self-existent. Creation is the process of form manifesting from emptiness, where that which arises from the mind comes into existence. Yet the distance between conception and realisation may be enormous, as vast as the distance between stars. The drawings contained within this book took almost eight years to complete, and form part of a larger series of drawings that span eighteen years of my life. One has to be very careful about what one chooses to trade one's life for, and there were many times when I doubted my own sanity in having undertaken this work. For me the price

Introduction was high, it wasn't bought cheaply. There was no short cut, no-one to assist, and no-one to refer to. Solitude and despair are close emotional companions, and for me there was much despair in the process. Solitude and joy are close spiritual companions, and simultaneously there were prolonged periods of inspiration, intuition and ecstatic love. Both states- of the most intense visionary luminosity and its absence- are difficult to live with, and always cause insomnia. Like pearls of joy and despair, the necklace of creativity was strung on the continuous thread of perseverance. I was driven by the strength of passion, the work came through me, not of me, like the clear piercing thread of tradition. Having spent the last thirty years painting, drawing and studying Tibetan art, I am invariably asked the same group of questions:- "How long have you been doing this? How did you first get interested? Where did you learn? How do you manage to make a living? Are you a Buddhist, and do you practice meditation? What does it all mean?" The first of these questions is easily answered above in a few words, and the last question is perhaps partially answered in the long text of this book. As to the second question, personal history is something that tends to become erased as one focuses upon the aspiration of the present moment. It is inevitably too long a story, and it is only another lifetime. Ultimately anyone's life story is a mythology of dreamlike experiences in time, they have a beginning and an end, but the colour in between is modal. It was my destiny to become involved in Tibetan art, in retrospect I can modally see ~at the entire universe conspired to make it so. There are meetings, omens, events in ea_ch individual's life that clearly point towards the direction in which one's destiny unfolds. We have a choice, we can either follow or ignore them. But for me personally one specific experience that occurred in time marked a distinct point of change, where there really was no choice. In 1969 and at the age of twentyone I had already developed an understanding of both Eastern and Western esoteric traditions, and was already painting oriental style imagery. In the autumn of that year I underwent a full blown 'Kundalini crisis' and was catapulted into another reality. This was the end of life as I had previously known it. I spent a large part of the next decade trying to survive the psychic onslaught that spontaneously arises when one loses that seemingly solid sense of self-identity called 'me'. For several years it was relentless, with every aspect of the personality continually disintegrating. There is no language to describe this reality, and the threshold of fear that it evoked was far beyond any existential state of being that I could previously have conceived of. To me, at this point in time, the wrathful deities of Tibetan art were the closest mirror to my internal process. The destruction that these deities inflicted upon the ego was exactly what I was undergoing in my 'divided self'. They automatically became a vehicle of self-expression. The decision to begin to paint them was not academic or philosophical, it was instinctive, intuitive and primordial. This is a short mythology of 'how it all began', the rest is internal. The answer to the third question- "Where did you learn?"- is that I am essentially self taught. As a child growing up after the second world war my prized possession was a sketch book entitled 'Tanks and How to Draw Them'. From repeatedly copying these drawings until they had been committed to memory the qualities of patience, a sense of perspective, and a meticulous attention to detail began to develop. At sixteen and living 'on the road' I applied to enter art college, but was refused admission because I was redgreen colour blind. At this point destiny conspired to introduce me to my first and greatest artistic mentor, John F.B. Miles. John's best friend had committed suicide the week before we met, and I looked just like him. Thus was our destiny sealed. Without doubt, John was the greatest living artist that I ever met. With a passion that transcended insanity, he lived, loved and died for art, leaving behind an as yet unrecognised legacy of the most potent visionary art. The inspirational reality we shared was extreme. John was far larger than life, and he knew it. Until his death in 1997 at the age of 52, we remained the closest of artistic allies. In 1970 I travelled to India and spent the next five years living there, with a year in Nepal. At Dharamsala in the Himalayan foothills, I lived initially for a year in the same compound as the artist Jampa from Lhasa, painter to H.H. the Dalai Lama. From Jampa' s sketches I first learned the iconographical rudiments of the Central Tibetan style. But

XIII

Introduction these were mere preliminaries that I would have to penetrate to a far deeper extent in later years. It wasn't what Jampa did that impressed me, it was who he was. In the early hours of the morning, whilst dogs barked at the moon, ours were the only windows illuminated in the whole valley. Jampa died from cancer and overwork in 1987, but his beaming smile and glowing heart live on with the bodhisattvas. In Nepal I studied the iconographical grid structures (lib: thig tshad) of the major deities, as compiled by the yogin artist, Gomchen Oleshe of Sola Khumbu. Although I never actually met Oleshe his artistic precision essentially defmed my style, and with his death in the late '70's I felt that I had to take on his artistic baton and continue the drawings that he had begun. My last year in India was spent living in the Tibetan Craft Community of TashiJong in the Kangra valley. Here I was adopted by my main Tibetan teacher, I